civil war reconstruction: Sustaining Americans' support
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President Andrew Johnson’s granting of amnesty and pardons kept many Americans believing in the Reconstruction period. This also returned all of previously-owner property to the former Confederates who accepted emancipation and swore loyalty to the Union.
Congress’s passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments kept the African American community supporting the cause. The government was not only legalizing laws that ensured blacks their freedoms to escape slavery, be seen as official U.S. citizens, and vote, but also proving them with opportunities to get better quality education and to make more doing more prestigious jobs. Now, any man could serve in office or at least settle down and create a life form himself and family. In addition, when violence broke out and African Americans called for help, federal forces responded with the Enforcement Acts. Politically and economically, citizens throughout the U.S. could see all that their government was doing to preserve their rights and shape the states into a unified nation. But socially, many citizens were reluctant to believe true change would ever come over the Confederate South.
Strong labor unions and the spread of factories and plants provided America’s people with more employment choices and mass-produced materials. The demand for supplies such as textiles and machinery, and tools grew in unison with the U.S. population’s belief in industrialization.
Political cartoons and daily newspapers became popular sources of informative news and pure entertainment to citizens all over the country. Being able to relate to the Southern plantation owner laughing at the Carpetbagger from the North or having the chance to read about Congress’s next move in Washington made Americans feel connected to each other and to their society. Plus, the idea of finding permanent peace between the North and South and reshaping the nation back into one was the alluring, patriotic push that many Americans needed to become active in the Reconstruction movement and to sustain their support of the U.S. government.
Congress’s passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments kept the African American community supporting the cause. The government was not only legalizing laws that ensured blacks their freedoms to escape slavery, be seen as official U.S. citizens, and vote, but also proving them with opportunities to get better quality education and to make more doing more prestigious jobs. Now, any man could serve in office or at least settle down and create a life form himself and family. In addition, when violence broke out and African Americans called for help, federal forces responded with the Enforcement Acts. Politically and economically, citizens throughout the U.S. could see all that their government was doing to preserve their rights and shape the states into a unified nation. But socially, many citizens were reluctant to believe true change would ever come over the Confederate South.
Strong labor unions and the spread of factories and plants provided America’s people with more employment choices and mass-produced materials. The demand for supplies such as textiles and machinery, and tools grew in unison with the U.S. population’s belief in industrialization.
Political cartoons and daily newspapers became popular sources of informative news and pure entertainment to citizens all over the country. Being able to relate to the Southern plantation owner laughing at the Carpetbagger from the North or having the chance to read about Congress’s next move in Washington made Americans feel connected to each other and to their society. Plus, the idea of finding permanent peace between the North and South and reshaping the nation back into one was the alluring, patriotic push that many Americans needed to become active in the Reconstruction movement and to sustain their support of the U.S. government.